Corridor 4 and 5 - View of Nashville and Western rail line from SR-12 south of Ashland City, Tennessee.

Corridor 5 - Nashville and Western Corridor Rail line between Clarksville and Ashland City at mile post 7.2, in Cheatham County.

Why This Study?

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Middle Tennessee initiated the Northwest Corridor Transit Study to evaluate transit options between Clarksville and Nashville. The study will build upon previous efforts and will examine enhanced, cost effective transit improvements in the northwest corridor to connect travelers to destinations (work, school, shopping, entertainment, etc.) and address anticipated traffic growth and congestion along Interstate 24. One of the key components of the project will be active stakeholder participation and public engagement throughout the entire study process to both share information and gather input regarding the alternatives under consideration.

Short Term (1 – 5 years)
Short-term improvements include the existing 94X Express Bus service with over-the-road coaches in the corridor. This would involve expanding hours and trips, improvements to the park-and-ride lots and promotion of the guaranteed ride home program.

Medium Term (5 – 15 years)
Mid-term improvements include ways to improve travel time on I-24 and the arterials from I-24 leading to the main transit terminal in Nashville, Music City Central. These improvements could involve a bus on shoulder (BOS) mode, including transit signal priority or transit queue jump lanes and/or combinations of all three.

Long Term (15 years or more)
In the longer term, commuter rail would be the preferred investment in the existing and new Nashville & Western Railroad from Nashville to Clarksville. The vehicle would be a diesel multiple unit vehicle that would convert to a single-car train that would operate in “local” mode within the Nashville/Davidson County area.

About the Project

The Northwest Corridor Transit Study team is working closely with RTA to establish the Northwest Corridor Advisory Committee (NCAC). The NCAC will provide guidance for the public outreach and engagement of the larger community, as well as input on the need and purpose for the project, the alternatives that will be studied, and the evaluation criteria that will be used (including cost) to screen and evaluate alternatives.

The Northwest Corridor Transit Study team has reviewed prior reports, collected data, and conducted a “desktop review” of the corridors under consideration. The team is currently preparing a summary of existing environmental considerations, land uses, highway and railway infrastructure, and transit service operations present within the study area.